Video Games Cause Violence, Say Vote-Whoring politicos that know shit about gaming.

Statikk HDM · #1 06-20-2005, 12:28 PM

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/loca...p-274211c.html
Saw at Fark, thought it would start an interesting thread. Do you think that violent videogames cause violence? While you're mulling that question over, my thoughts about the article:
25 to Life sounds like it could either be fun or a contrived rip-off of every other gang game made.
Why do they always find little kids to give quotes about violent videogames? Many states have laws regarding sales of games and why in hell do parents let teens play shit like that?
Now here is the thing: It has been shown that long term exposure to violent media affects how impressionable people(i.e. kids who shouldn't be within 5 yards of M-rated material, much less purchasing and playing them). What I don't get is why politicians have such a hard-on about persecuting the video-game industry. There is a rating system. Laws have been created to enforce this rating system. Commercials have been made and shown in malls and on television explaining this system. By their twisted "logic" if the stores and the parents don't do their job in restricting access to mature media an entire industry that has been self-policing itself since the days of Sonic the Hedgehog should be punished.

Kimon · #2 06-20-2005, 01:57 PM

Car companies cause car accidents! Liquor companies cause liver and brain damage! Cigarrette companies cause cancer!

It's all bullshit. The effects depend on how a person uses a product, not that it exists.

big bro boogie · #3 06-20-2005, 01:59 PM

i agree with Kimon
(go Kimon

)

Jacob · #4 06-20-2005, 02:07 PM

I couldn't be bothered to read the article 'cos i'm Apathy moulded into human form.

However, i did hear that Hilary Clinton was doing research into it, so are these her findings? And if not, why not, dammit!!

Dipstikk · #5 06-20-2005, 03:24 PM

While I think that saying GTA and the like cause people to run rampant with a GAT is the highest form of utter bullshit imaginable (I agree totally with you, Kimon), I also believe in immitatable acts and the utter stupidity of your averge pre-teen (excluding some of the members of OWF).

I also think making a game that allows the player to use a person as a HUMAN SHIELD is just asking for trouble. In my opinion, people are trying way to hard to go above and beyond the GTA series. And like I said: immitatable acts and stupid kids.

But I still don't think every single 11 year old is going to go from "Huh, 25 to Life is fun." to "You'll never take me alive, coppers!" A lot of kids have more common sense then that, and it's usually the really stupid ones who do this shit.

Statikk HDM · #6 06-20-2005, 04:37 PM

To reenact video games or movies you have to be pretty out there to begin with. I worry though that if people keep taking this laisses faire approach to gaming that it will be very easy for politicians to garner support for more unwarranted crackdowns and bannings. I sure wouldn't let an 11 year old kid(mine or anyone else's) watch movies and play games rated beyond them. Teen I give leeway but the scenario of allowing an 11 year old to play 25 to Life is pretty messed up.

Kimon · #7 06-20-2005, 04:41 PM

"I agree with Kimon
(go Kimon )

Word.

"(I agree totally with you, Kimon)"

Words.

"...immitatable acts and stupid kids..."

Unfortunately, those things do exist, and combined they can be quite destructive. I don't think that there are enough of these cases of video game realted violence to say that video games cause violence though, because if you think about it, forks can cause violence too.

......

On an unrelated note, some idiots are now banning forks in public schools. Have a nice day!

ANN NEELY · #8 06-20-2005, 04:54 PM

Actually, my Discover magazine featured an article on how video games can build critical thinking skills, problem solving, self-esteem, social skills, and help people exercise (AKA Dance Dance Revolution).

"Video games create social phobias and make the player withdraw into their own world."-My Teacher

Bullshit. Video games actually help people find others with similair interests.

"Video games waste your brain."-My Teacher

Video games actually involve lots of thinking and problem solving to meet objectives and navigate through levels.

"Name ONE video game that isn't violent."-My Teacher (Challenging me)

Tetris.

MojoMan220 · #9 06-20-2005, 08:27 PM

Damn, why did it have to be Schumer... The Democrats are really disappointing me this year.

Leto · #10 06-20-2005, 11:07 PM

Damn, I think a lot about this topic.

First off, has anyone ever noticed that the oly people critisising games for their violent content, ARE OLD? (Kids agasint GTA excluded (Wow, I bet their popular at school)). Secondly, the people who do this are horribley misinformed. I mean, some stupid shit on Breakfast said:

:

On GTA: San Adreas, you get 100+ points for killing cops and prostitutes.

What an idiot.

FOr killing a cop, you get the pigs on yo muthafukin ass. If you kill a prostitute within range of a pedestrian, the cops will still come after you.

Dino · #11 06-21-2005, 05:43 AM

There seems to be a grave misuse of the word "encourage". Violent video games aren't "encouraging" anyone to do anything except play the game. There are no messages saying "NOW GO RE-ENACT THIS IN REAL LIFE", which would be REAL encouragement. If people interpret a video game as a violence instruction manual then that's their problem, game companies aren't responsible for the suggestability of their customers.

dripik · #12 06-21-2005, 08:18 AM

Quite a good topic, Statikk.

Kimon got it right, the games' existance is not the real problem. 11 year olds and above can play with these games safely if they know the limits. Some people can hardly make difference between the games and reality in the end, and that may cause problems. If the parents think that their child won't take the game serious, they can let him/her play with it, I think.

I've read about some cases, like the one where a teenager got hold of a sawed-off shotgun and killed people. And then, they found out (or made up, more like) that he did all that because he was playing with Doom. The real question is: How could he get a sawed-off shotgun? At least I think so.

Statikk HDM · #13 06-21-2005, 10:01 AM

I am all in favor of harsh penalties of stores that sell adult movies and games to minors. Huge fines and massive negative publicity is in order. Hey, if you purchase M-Rated games and you are reasonably well adjusted and in you mid teens, fine, enjoy yourself. I own them, too. Thing is, I'm almost 19 years old. I'm not some 13 year old impressionable latchkey kid with parents that have SHIT FOR BRAINS.
/Wasn't allowed to have Teen games until I was a teenager
//Couldn't have Mature games until I was MATURE.

Jacob · #14 06-21-2005, 11:01 AM

I think Stad has got the best point, what with why are younger kids playing violent video games in the first place?

Saying that, i find games like the GTA series pointless and the only reason they're popular is because of the amount of killing you can do in them. 'cos let's face it, the stories to them are vile and crap.

Erm...yes. Tired now. Nights.

Cyber-Slig · #15 06-21-2005, 11:39 AM

I'm only 12 and I play these games. I've never felt like blowing someone's head off or running around, shooting aliens. Games only really affect psychopaths, or depressed people.

Hobo · #16 06-21-2005, 11:53 AM

There was a great quote from some nintendo head dude:

(innaccurate quote but hey)

Video games don't affect peoples lives. If they did, all the people in my generation would be running round mazes chomping pills running away from ghosts.

Or something to that effect

Godlesswanderer · #17 06-21-2005, 01:19 PM

Back when I got my PS1, back in '98 (which would have made me 8 years old), the first game I played was Doom. It didn't make me want to go out and chainsaw people to death. I just thought, "Ooooo! A chainsaw! Cool!"

The only kids that would go out and kill someone because they saw it being done in a game are either retarded or had a psychotic base in their brain to begin with.

MojoMan220 · #18 06-21-2005, 03:31 PM

I don't think age has anything to do with anything. I played Doom and Mortal Kombat when I was just a youngling. Even then I knew that the pixels on the screen were not real. A four year old nephew of mine plays Grand Theft Auto, after he's done playing he doesn't act any different then a four year old would.

Dino · #19 06-21-2005, 04:22 PM

:

There was a great quote from some nintendo head dude:

(innaccurate quote but hey)

Video games don't affect peoples lives. If they did, all the people in my generation would be running round mazes chomping pills running away from ghosts.

Or something to that effect

As we speak I'm actually wearing a T-Shirt with that particular quote on it, so I'll type out the whole version for you.

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetative electronic music."

Kristion Wilson
(and for some reason it says "Mintendo Inc")

Leto · #20 06-21-2005, 11:22 PM

:

"Mintendo Inc"

Bad Engrish translation, I would assume.

:

I don't think age has anything to do with anything. I played Doom and Mortal Kombat when I was just a youngling. Even then I knew that the pixels on the screen were not real. A four year old nephew of mine plays Grand Theft Auto, after he's done playing he doesn't act any different then a four year old would.

Word. I was like, 4 when I first started playing Doom. I sucked hella bad, but I still played it. Then I played Mortal Kombat shortly thereafter, and I'm only marginally insane!

*eye twitch*

But I don't think it's just the game itself that promotes illegal actions. It could be others input. Say, a four year old was playing GTA *HINT HINT

*. If their parents were to compliment the game and it's actions, I would assume this would provoke such things.

*shrugs*

Dino · #21 06-22-2005, 05:07 AM

Black hole sun, black hole sun, won't you come? To wash away the game. Oh black hole sun, won't you come, won't you come?

No, I won't come. Bitch. Now let's get high.

Kimon · #22 06-22-2005, 08:34 AM

:

Black hole sun, black hole sun, won't you come? To wash away the game. Oh black hole sun, won't you come, won't you come?

No, I won't come. Bitch. Now let's get high.

10 points for Soundgarden! And.. 3 for highness! Whoo-hoo!

Anyway, yeah. I laughed in the face of Mortal Kombat when I was a young'n, because Scorpion would punch Sub-Zero in the face, and at least 3 buckets of blood would come flying out of his face. When he did the "Get Over Here" move I half-expected a gut-filled explosion.